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I love Cuba. Havana is filled with splashes of colour and life around every corner. The people are so friendly and contrary to what some might say, there is some great food! Cuba has maintained its integrity and is a world without big corporations. While some might think that the lack of golden arches is a bad thing, I loved it!

In Havana, you can immerse yourself in culture. It will help if you can speak a little Spanish (I like to think that I can) but, we didn’t have difficulty finding people who speak English for the most part.

We had no service or WIFI for our entire stay in Cuba. We knew that this would be an issue before hand so we had planned out everything. MAPS.ME is a great app for offline maps. This is another way that Cuba immerses you in culture and local atmosphere.

Take a break from the world and visit Havana on a budget.

Getting Around Havana

Once in Havana, the best option for getting around on a budget is the Taxi Collectivos. This is what we used to get from the airport to our Casa Particulare. Before getting in the taxi, negotiate the price. Since there is very limited Wifi, make sure that you screenshot your hotel name before you fly.

There are taxi ranks around the city to find a collectivo. Your accomdations will likely be able to help you find the nearest one.

The other option is to travel around in the old-style cars. Definitely, you should do this at least once during your trip! Since these tend to be in higher demand, the prices might be a bit more than a collectivo. We did a small portion of a pre-arranged tour in order to save money. Basically, we just drove up the Malecon and back.

The cars are ready for you!

Where to Stay in Havana

Many people stay in resorts while in Cuba. Not only is this not the budget friendly option, it is not the culture immersive option.

Casa particulares are essentially an Airbnb. You get to stay in the home of a local. This is the best way of finding budget accommodations while getting to experience culture. Airbnb does work in Cuba, so have a look there. Or, we found ours by searching online. I did hear stories of people showing up without having booked accomdation and just wandering the streets looking for casas. But, this is a bit too risky for my comfort.

Important things to pack

After Sun

Sunscreen

Bug spray

Walking shoes

I had a hard time finding these things, in fact the only place that I could was in a big, fancy hotel shop.

Know Before You Go

Visas- I went to Cuba from Miami as this is where my friend and I met up. Even though neither one of us was American, we still had to pay $50 for a US visa simply because we were travelling from USA. We had booked a tour of Vinales before leaving and used this as our People-to-People interaction for the visa. Check to see if you need a visa from your country here.

Money- We brought Canadian dollars as we had heard that they are easier to exchange. There are some reports that USD gets surcharged. Try to bring enough cash for your entire trip. Both of us had trouble getting our cards to work at ATMs. And you can exchange money at the airport.

CUP is used by the locals. CUC is the tourist currency, so you’ll most likely be using this. While we didn’t experience it, we have heard that sometimes you’ll pay in CUC but get your change in CUP. So double check your bills if you are concerned about it.

Don’t check a bag. Bags take so long to get.

I know a little bit of Spanish but we didn’t have much trouble finding people who speak English.

Best Drinks

El Floridita- Hemmingway popularized this bar with his bold statements about their dacquiris being the best in the world. El Floridita is understandably, a bit touristy, and the food was a bit pricey. However, pop in for a drink. The day we swung by, there was live music.

Mojito Mojito- Again, another place with live music. The food was good and the drinks are always good in Cuba. However, I mention Mojito Mojito because I bought the most amazing painting from a local shop nearby. Eduardo opened his shop at 6:30 am to meet me to purchase it before my flight as I didn’t have enough cash on me at the time. If you’re in Havana, you should try and find his shop. He is talented.

La Bodeguita Del Medio- Have a mojito.

I love this man.

Tastiest Food in Havana

While in Cuba, I refused to believe that all of the food would be bland. The embargo has made it harder to find certain ingredients but this will likely change. In the meantime, these places all served great food. All of these places were very affordable. With most food items being under 10 CUC.

Hotel Saratoga- We went up to the rooftop pool and ordered Cuban Sandwiches. Not only were they divine but the view was stellar.

Los Nardos- We waited a very long time to get in here. However, once inside the décor was rustic and the food delicious. This was the only expensive place that we ate at while in Havana (By expensive, I mean that it was more than $15).

Café Paris- We found Café Paris to be a little hit or miss. The first time we went, we had amazing seafood pasta and great live music. However, we returned the next night and we were served mediocre Americanized food. They don’t actually serve all of the menu options every day.

La Abadia is located on the Malecon. Come for dinner so that you’ll be here for a sunset one night. We got the arroz la abadia which was a delectable seafood dinner.

La Abadia disappears into the buildings around it.

We didn’t make it to Café O’Reilly 304 but it was highly recommended by a friend who said that the food was amazing.

Sia Kara Bar- We had great food and great drinks for wonderful prices.

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About Me

Hi, I'm Arielle and these are my adventures. I seek budget travel, good food, and authentic experiences all in the name of completing my bucket list. I love cats, books, and anything Harry Potter. You can expect to hear from me every second Tuesday with updates on my quest to complete my bucket list by 40 years old. Read More…